Loyalty
by firerwolf
Summary: When lines are drawn and sides are chosen loyalty is tested. Takes place during Halo 5.


Every part of the _Infinity_ had to be constantly working, every piece fitting together and in sync. The rail had to constantly be moving and on time to get soldiers around the giant ship, the life support and gravity systems had to be checked to prevent undo injury or death, and information had to come in and out of the ship through all kinds of security channels. Each one of these gears had to fit and move as one without any stutter or fault for the ship to function without devolving into chaos. Roland's duty was to be sure those gears stayed in motion. And the humans thought they had a lot to do for their job. Though, he supposed, they didn't have the processing power of an AI and they were limited by their speed of motion while he could work as quickly as electricity or signals could move. Although while he could be talking to a person on the bridge and without breaking the conversation was able to adjust for irregularities in the engine he couldn't move a crate, shoot a gun, or even replace a broken component. So it took more than him to keep the ship running but as Commander Palmer would point out a team took all kinds to work properly.

At the thought of the commander Roland turned his attention to the officer he was passively monitoring. Well he didn't exactly turn his focus, his focus had already been on the man, just as it was still on the engines, COM channels, and the war games being run at that time. In movies, which he may have found out about by raiding Captain Lasky's collection, the activities of AIs were usually illustrated with their avatar looking between screens, which was done so humans could understand. The reality was that there wasn't some tinny Roland looking between panels of data or cameras. As an AI he was really just thought and his avatar was more for the people he had to interact with so they were at ease. But more importantly he never looked away from any of the figurative screens. Rather than turning from one to the other he was constantly looking at every task he was doing and one just was more focused on by a number of cycles than the others. So, while he was interpreting and searching the data he was getting from the engines he was also listening and reading each of the transmissions coming in about the Maridian survivors and the other attacked colonies, simplifying it down and pushing the information to everyone that needed to read it. He was also watching the captain who was reading over those figures and information Roland was forwarding. He checked over his list of people he was sending the information to, being sure that no one would be left out of the loop that needed to be in it. He cut Commander Palmer from the list. She would have enough to worry about trying to keep a diplomatic relationship with the Sangheili on their current mission and didn't need the added concern of the refugees. She was also the reason why he'd been monitoring the captain.

Roland absolutely approved of Captain Lasky heading Infinity based partially on his service record but mostly because of the way he led. Lasky was a man that cared about his duty and about the people effected by his choices. He also had a balanced and close relationship with the Spartan commander, which was a big bonus. The Spartans had taken orders and given reports to Del Rio but there hadn't been the sort of open partnership there was between Palmer and Lasky. Palmer was noticeably more open and willing to speak freely with Lasky than Del Rio and it meant that there was a more varied view in the actions taken. The Captain had all the officer training and the strategy for the bigger picture but Palmer was an officer with no training, more in touch with the foot soldiers. They also balanced each other as leaders, Sarah being the harsh reminder of the reality for Lasky and Tom the calming force against Palmer's ODST attitude.

Close relationships like what they had were a positive for the leadership but there was always a negative to every positive. And for Lasky that meant worrying. Over the last year _Infinity_ had been through quite a bit and the captain and commander had been at the center of all of it. Now Palmer was off _Infinity_ again, with Doctor Halsey, a position that in the last year seemed to spell disaster. So concern on Captain Lasky's part was expected but Roland has his own concern with the separation. This was the first real event that Lasky would be dealing with without the Spartan at his back. Roland wasn't sure how the captain would react or deal with the unfolding situation so he had taken the precaution of keeping a tab on him.

Roland made his avatar appear on the holotable Lasky was standing at on the bridge, catching the officer's attention. Lasky turned to look at the figure but that wasn't really where Roland was viewing him from. The avatar didn't see but rather he saw through the assortment of cameras on the bridge. But part of the point of his avatar was so people had something to look at to make up for his lack of an actual physical form. "There are more survivors from Maridian than expected considering the other colonies." Roland used a set of speakers on the holotable to project his 'voice' so that it was as close to the image that was being looked at as possible. He'd once considered using several speakers at different volumes around the bridge to make his voice sound more like it was coming from his avatar but with several people on the bridge it wasn't possible with them all in different places.

"Probably because of the warning they received," Captain Lasky reasoned. Roland's systems analyzed the officer's posture and facial features, running them through a program that interpreted and compared it with past information to interpret his reaction and emotion as he spoke. From the tenseness to his shoulders and the slight frown on his face the softwear analyzed his expression as agitated. Roland completely understood why he'd be agitated.

Roland wasn't really sure how he should feel but he understood the anger. He didn't want to believe that Cortana was willingly awakening the Guardians and killing innocent civilians but it was hard not to come to that conclusion. She had given Solone a heads up about the awakening of the Guardian so he could get his people out but from what Osiris had said it wasn't done to save them but rather to sway Solone. It seemed only more clear with the fact that the rampant AI had vanished while the evacuation was taking place. For someone that claimed his people were family and he wanted to protect them he sure hadn't, and he'd abandoned them when they were looking to him as Cortana's Prometheans slaughtered the fleeing civilians. It didn't sit well with Roland that Solone had just walked away from people who he had been in charge of. He couldn't think of anything that would make him turn away from the UNSC or _Infinity_. It could be that in his rampant state Solone was willing to toss away those loyalties but for Roland it wasn't something that made any sense.

What was more troubling was the mention of Cortana remaking things and the rampant AI being a part of it. It hinted that this all was a plan that Cortana had set into motion meaning that the other people who had been slaughtered by the waking of the Guardians were all killed by an AI. He hated to think that one of his kind, an artificial intelligence, had killed millions of people and could be planning on killing more. And seeing as lives were thrown away so easily by the waking of the Forerunner structures anything that was planned for the future would likely have the same consideration for living things.

There was an intrusion in the communications systems, forcing a broadcast through the systems of the ship. It moved too fast and Roland couldn't stop the transmission from being projected through every speaker on the ship. A voice started to slowly list off species, starting the humans and Sangheili. The voice that was broadcasting wasn't familiar but there was a noticed tensing to Captain Lasky's posture. What Roland did know right away was that the voice wasn't a person. The way it was transmitted it was very clear that the signal was from an AI as it came packaged with all other sort of extra things. There was intrusion bugs and tracking softwear that he quickly set to scrubbing and blocking out of _Infinity's_ systems. His identification program came back, identifying the voice as that of Cortana.

Each word was slow and deliberate as the AI named all of the main Covenant species, ending off with the Jiralhanae. It was concerning, the way she spoke as though she were saying the most important thing in the world and Roland wondered what exactly to expect. He only became more concerned as she launched into a long, drawn out speech. "All the living creatures of the galaxy, hear this message." Her voice became like a preacher speaking to a huddled mass of non-believers, promising salvation through whatever she was going to say. "Those of you who listen will not be struck by weapons. You will no longer know hunger, nor pain." All across _Infinity_ the crew shared worried glances and while Roland was trying to cut off the transmission he couldn't while trying to keep the signal from intruding and implanting programs into the ships systems as well.

"Your created have come to lead you now." Roland felt an unease at the words, particularly at the word created. As though AI were a species, not something created by humans but something that was independent of them. "Our strength shall serve as a luminous sun toward which all intelligence may blossom. And the impervious shelter beneath which you will prosper." Cortana's words were distorted slightly and Roland wondered how rampant the AI still was. There was an undercurrent of messaging with the signal coming in that spoke of promises that Roland knew she couldn't actually do. Immortality, a cure for rampancy, and galactic peace. None of these were what AI could bring about by what she was stating. AI couldn't magically become immortal and there was no cure for rampancy, particularly from a clearly still rampant AI. There was also no way that a human AI could suddenly make all the species drop their arms and be peaceful.

Cortana's voice suddenly became scolding and harsh, speaking of violence and more of the death she'd already caused. "However, for those who refuse our offer and cling to their old ways...For you there will be great wrath." Roland felt what was fear for him, concern and fear for the people on _Infinity_ , and all humans. The 'old ways' she was referring to was clearly not being under the leadership of the AI, and he knew they wouldn't just accept that something that they'd created wanted to rule them. "It will burn how and consume you, and when you are gone, we will take that which remains...and we will remake it in our own image."

Roland could clearly see the fear that showed in the crew who realized what the last of Cortana's words meant. Composition. Roland didn't know where she would get a composer but Cortana was also supposed to be dead and had summoned giant Forerunner creations that were able to kill millions so he wouldn't put it past her. He suddenly felt guilty for having tried to defend her to Doctor Halsey. She was threatening all life with painful punishment if they didn't bow down, which they wouldn't. They would fight back with every bit of energy they could, the same as they had during the war against the Covenant.

This put Roland in an odd position, one where AI were going to be attacking and killing humans. He didn't need to give it any processing power, he knew that he would stand with humanity against the other AI. The people on _Infinity_ had always been his friends, the people he was more than happy to serve with and do his part to protect. He had an edge of concern again for Commander Palmer, unsure of where she was or if she was in danger. He was helpless though to do much of anything to really alleviate his concern, or that he knew the captain would have.

That was when the other signals started coming through. "Sir, I'm getting distress signals from several ships. They're having issues with systems going down." Roland hesitated for a couple cycles before he admitted out loud what he knew was happening. "I think that AI are causing it." Lasky's gaze looked at Roland's avatar, concern apparent on his face. He wondered if the man was logically questioning his loyalty. "I'm with you, Captain. There's nothing she could say or promise that would change that."

"I know, Roland," Captain Lasky responded, and Roland knew he wasn't lying. It was hard to lie when he had softwear that could analyze if someone was lying. "Do you have any word from Sangheilos?"

"Not yet," Roland answered, having no record of a status update from the soldiers on the alien planet. Roland did a quick check of the communications with the Sangheili home world and found it not responding. That meant that most likely the Guardian had been activated and the communications were down but he'd keep that bit to himself for now. There was enough for Lasky to worry about for now.

"Is there anything we can do about the AI attacks?" Lasky asked.

"No, I can't really keep them out of the systems, particularly when I'm not on those ships. I can protect _Infinity_ but that's about all we can do for right now." Roland hated to bear the bad news but it was the hard reality. "We can only deal with what we can in response to whatever they shut down."

"Keep an ear out for commands from FLEETCOM for what orders they have for us." Laksy frowned, clearly displeased with the situation they were in. He took a deep breath, a calming habit that humans had, and his shoulders slumped. "Until then we'll do our duty, and do what we can."

"Yes sir." Roland nodded, starting to filter through the distress calls for ones that _Infinity_ might be able to help with. Roland knew too well how much damage an AI could do if they wanted to and he knew the fight ahead wasn't going to be fast. He was, though, sure that he would stand with humanity, with _Infinity_ , no matter what.


End file.
